1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to the helical vanes in the feeding section of an axial flow agricultural combine.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Agricultural combines are large machines that harvest, thresh, separate and clean an agricultural crop. The resulting clean grain is stored in a grain tank located on the combine. The clean grain can then be transported from the grain tank to a truck, grain cart or other receiving bin by an unloading auger.
Axial flow combines have one or two large rotors arranged along the longitudinal axis of the machine. The rotors have feeding, threshing and separating sections axially arranged along the rotor. Harvested crop material is introduced by the feederhouse to the feeding section of the axial rotor. The feeding section of the rotor maybe provided with a propeller assembly similar to that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,148,323; or a helical blade assembly as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,266,560, 4,362,168 and 4,367,757.
One problem encountered by axial flow combines is that straw may slip forward off the helical vanes of the feeding section of the rotor into the gap formed between the rotor drum and the rotor bearing support.